Earlier this month a cougar was hit and killed by a vehicle in Milford, Connecticut, thousands of miles away from the nearest wild population of cougars. Though many people claim to have seen the elusive cats in the region over the past few decades, officials have declared the eastern cougar extinct. False sightings are extremely common--even in states that have viable populations--and any cougars that do turn up in the East are believed to be escaped pets. Though this individual showed no obvious signs of being in captivity, state officials say this still is the most likely explanation. The carcass has been sent to an environmental lab for further study and analysis. What do you think? Click here to leave comments